Who Gets to Lead? Expanding Student Voice with Rachel Thrash

Who Gets to Lead? Expanding Student Voice with Rachel Thrash

Author: Jeff Utecht & Tricia Friedman August 3, 2026 Duration: 39:15

When schools picture a student leader, they often imagine the confident speaker, the high achiever, or the student who already understands how to succeed within existing systems. But what about the students who are rarely invited to lead?

In this episode, Tricia speaks with educator and author Rachel Thrash about expanding student leadership beyond the familiar few. Her book, Let the Learners Lead: Empowering Student Voice to Co-Create School Culture, presents leadership as something every young person can practice, not a privilege reserved for students who already fit a traditional leadership profile.

Rachel explains how educators can move from simply asking for student input to genuinely co-creating with learners. She discusses why adults need the courage to admit they do not have every answer, what students gain when educators resist solving every problem for them, and how shared responsibility can strengthen student agency, belonging, and school culture.

The conversation also offers practical tools schools can use to make student voice more authentic and inclusive.

In this episode:

  • Why traditional student leadership models leave many learners out

  • The difference between student voice, student agency, and student leadership

  • How co-creation changes the relationship between educators and students

  • Why adults should resist rushing in to solve every student problem

  • How uncertainty can become part of authentic leadership

  • Practical ways to create more inclusive leadership opportunities

  • How shared responsibility supports belonging and school culture

  • What it means to treat leadership as a practice rather than a title

This conversation is for teachers, school leaders, instructional coaches, and anyone seeking practical ways to increase student voice, agency, belonging, and participation in school decision-making.

Featured guest: Rachel Thrash, educator and author of Let the Learners Lead: Empowering Student Voice to Co-Create School Culture

https://www.routledge.com/Let-the-Learners-Lead-Empowering-Student-Voice-to-Co-Create-School-Culture/Thrash/p/book/9781041155713

Thank you to our show sponsor: Unfurl

Learn more with Unfurl: https://unfurl.sh/

Are you subscribed to AI Forward?

One lucky listener can win a pro account, be sure to subscribe to AI Forward to learn more:

https://k12aileadershipbrief.substack.com/

 

 


Ever feel like the conversation around education moves faster than a school day? Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators is here to slow things down just enough for a meaningful dialogue. Hosted by practicing educators Jeff Utecht and Tricia Friedman, this podcast creates a necessary space for teachers and administrators to dig into the real work of modern teaching. Instead of just theory, you’ll hear from fellow practitioners and thought leaders who are navigating the same challenges you face daily. The discussions move beyond surface-level trends to unpack practical strategies and tools that can be adapted for your own classroom or school. Whether it’s rethinking assessment, integrating technology with purpose, or fostering a more inclusive learning environment, each episode is grounded in the shared goal of improving outcomes for every student. Tuning in feels less like another professional development requirement and more like a candid staff room conversation with colleagues who get it. This is where the abstract ideas about educational change meet the concrete reality of the K-12 world, offering actionable insights for anyone committed to the craft of teaching. Find Shifting Schools wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts for a regular dose of perspective and practical ideas.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Podcast Episodes
Why the World Has Always Been Weird — and Why That Matters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:52
Uncle John's All-Knowing Bathroom Reader, Curiosity, and the Weirdness of Human History Brian Boone joins the show to talk about why the world has always been weird—not just now. The conversation ranges from animal histo…
From Super Bowl Champion to Literacy Champion | Malcolm Mitchell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:36
What if readers and writers received the same attention, celebration, and investment as star athletes? In this episode, Tricia speaks with Super Bowl champion, children's author, and literacy advocate Malcolm Mitchell ab…
Never Underestimate a Young Reader [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:31
What do young people understand that adults mistakenly believe they have hidden from them? Award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson returns to the podcast to discuss Ghost in the Night, her haunting middle-grade novel set…
The Humanoid Robot, the Headlines, and What Really Happened [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:39
When Salamanca City Central School District announced plans to bring a humanoid robot into its robotics program, the story quickly became something else entirely: "A school is replacing teachers with robots." That was ne…
Game Design Could Transform Assessment in the AI Era [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:54
What if students didn't simply complete an assessment—but designed an experience for someone else? In this episode of Shifting Schools, Tricia Friedman pitches Jeff Utecht a new approach to assessment for the AI era: inv…
What will be your anchor for wellness this school year? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:31
The beginning of a school year often arrives with a familiar message: do more, organize more, and somehow become a brand-new person before the first bell rings. This episode offers a different invitation. Instead of atte…
Lisa Gardner on Creativity and Curiosity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:31
What can ELA teachers learn from a bestselling suspense novelist who begins writing without knowing who the villain is? In this episode of Shifting Schools, Tricia Friedman speaks with Lisa Gardner about the habits, ques…
How to Raise a Reader from Birth with Sandra Magsamen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:24
What can a board book offer a baby who cannot yet speak or even hold it independently? Award-winning author, illustrator, and art therapist Sandra Magsamen joins Tricia to discuss Hello, Baby, her new board book created…
How do we teach students to sit with evidence longer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:48
What happens when historical research uncovers a truth you are not sure you want to know? In this episode of Shifting Schools, Tricia speaks with author Christine Kuehn and her husband and research partner, Mark Schiponi…
How Nolan's Odyssey and Cover Songs Help Us Talk About AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:27
Christopher Nolan's Odyssey just earned nearly $300 million retelling a 3,000-year-old story — so what actually separates imitation from transformative interpretation? In this episode, Tricia makes the case that cover so…